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The 27-year-old has a £7 million release clause in his contract, and with a host of clubs said to be interested in securing his services, Pardew says he wants the forward's future resolved as quickly as possible.

"In some respects, I feel a little bit sorry for Demba as well," Pardew told reporters. "Because I think people who are representing him are not actually representing him.

"There are people out there who are saying this who are not actually involved or want to be involved, and that's the sort of world we are in.

"The contract is what it is, we are all aware of that, and for me as the manager I need it resolved as quickly as possible. That's the best situation for our fans and for the club."

Newcastle have offered Ba a new deal that would see the release clause removed, and the offer remains open to the striker for the time being, but Pardew has stated that it will not be there for much longer.

He added: "The situation with that is that it's getting close to the point where we say 'no more', but the offer is still there."